Cop in fatal Miami Beach Tasering had previous incidents

MIAMI BEACH — A Miami Beach police officer involved in the stun gun death of an 18-year-old graffiti artist has controversial incidents in his personnel file.

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/16OtN0h ) reports Officer Jorge Mercado’s file includes a complaint from an Iraq War veteran who says he was beaten and Tasered by Mercado and other officers in 2008.

Israel Hernandez-Llach died Aug. 6 after officers used a Taser after he ignored their orders to stop.

The Herald reports the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reprimanded Mercado for flunking a drug test. He was also among officers caught up in 2011 overtime scandal and was accused of breaking a man’s nose in an off-duty incident.

In every case except the drug test, Mercado was either cleared or the cases were dropped for lack of evidence.